Frost
by Crazybird101
Summary: Iggy was hesitant about retrieving his big brother for supper. But that all changed when he found the door hidden in the shadows.


**Before I begin; I would like to point out that this is just a filler. Something to help boost my muse up. Because when I write, I like to write with passion. Not because I HAVE to. Because then the story will end up being all crappy. I should know from experience because that's what happened in my An Unlikely Bond (Monsters Inc.) series. And I REALLY don't plan on making the same mistake with A Somber Year (MLP). Which is why I'm just going to write this little one-shot that will hopefully keep that passion lit. That is all.**

**Warning:**

**AU**

**OOCNESS (as always)**

**Pre-Mario series**

**Possible typos/writing errors**

**(The rest is a surprise :p)**

**Koopaling (Present in the fic) ages:**

**Ludwig: 9**

**Lemmy: 8**

**Roy: 7**

**Iggy: 5**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Mario**

**Flames will be used to roast sausages**

**X.X**

Luddy. Have you ever played in the snow before?" Five year old Iggy "Hop" Koopa asked his older brother; nine year old Ludwig von Koopa.

Ludwig mused on the question with a thoughtful expression. Tapping his chin as he gazed out the window at the snow covered land outside their home. Watching as the white-fluffy-snowflakes drifted lazily down from the light gray overcast sky. "You've only been alive for five years, Iggy." Ludwig finally replied. "Why are you asking me this?"

Iggy blinked his innocent blue eyes. Which looked huge behind the black oval-shaped glasses that were resting snugly on his face. "Because I've never, ever, seen you outside. _Ever_." Iggy reached over and gently took his brothers clawed hand into his. "Come outside and play with me, Luddy. We can build a snow fort, and team up against Roy in a snowball fight. Then, in the end, we can build a snowman!"

Ludwig smiled lovingly at his younger brother and shook his head. "I'm sorry, Iggy." he said as he let go of his hand. "It's not my thing. I don't "play" indoors or out. I study and play my piano. Something that's actually worth my time." Ludwig felt a pang of guilt when he saw the sad look that was now plastered on his brothers face.

"But... But..." Iggy stuttered as he took a step away from his older brother and looked out the window instead.

"Why don't you play with Lemmy instead? You two seem to get along just fine." Ludwig offered. He knew how much Iggy got along with his second older brother. Although Lemmy had a tendency to act more like a child than his own age. Even allowing himself to be picked on by Roy, who's currently seven right now.

Iggy lowered and shook his head sadly in reply. "Lemmy's sick. Remember?" he said. "Mama and Dada told us to stay away from him until he gets better."

Ludwig slapped himself internally for not remembering so soon. _That's right. Lemmy is currently down with the flu. Kamek had him quarantined in his room to prevent it from spreading. How could I've forgotten if mother and father always remind us at breakfast to stay out of Lemmy's room until he's better? _the prince thought to himself before turning his attention back to his baby brother.

Iggy sniffled and whimpered as tears rolled down his cheeks. Staring at his faint reflection as he watched the snow continue to fall. He then placed his hand on the frost-covered window and cringed at the burning sensation he felt. _It's so cold, _he thought. He said nothing when he felt Ludwig place a hand on his shoulder. The older koopaling got down on one knee and brought his mouth close to his ear. "I'm going to go play piano now." he whispered before standing up to leave. Iggy shivered when he felt his brothers hot breath run down his neck, but said nothing as he turned away and left the room. Leaving him with only himself, and a crackling fire behind him.

...

Iggy hadn't known how long he'd been standing where he was. All that he knew was that not long after Ludwig left him alone, he started to get a strange feeling in his legs. Like all children, he began to panic. "Mommy!" he cried. "Mommy!"

In the blink of an eye, Clawdia Koopa suddenly came running into the room with a worried expression on her face. "What's the matter, my little one?" she asked once she scooped her child up in her arms and held him against her chest. Iggy sniffled and looked up at his mother with watery eyes.

"M-my legs feel f-funny." he whimpered. "I-It hurts when I m-move them."

Clawdia's face softened into a warm one as she smiled down at her child. Her blue eyes twinkling with amusement as she caressed his rainbow mohawk in an attempt to comfort him. "It's nothing to fret about, little one." she crooned as she rocked him gently. "It happens to everyone. Your legs were just going numb from not using them for too long."

Iggy sniffled. "S-so I'll be alright?"

Clawdia chuckled. "Yes. You will be fine. It'll go away after a short while. Just be sure not to strain yourself when you walk." she said as she placed him back down. "Understand?"

Iggy bobbed his head. Wiping the rest of his tears away with his wrist. "Yes, mama." he whimpered. He then perked his head up when he noticed that the strange feeling in his legs were gone. "It's gone!" he squealed happily as he walked around in a small circle. "It's really gone!"

"See? What did mama tell you." Clawdia said as she patted his head. "Now go and find your big brother. It's time for supper."

"Which one?" Iggy asked as he watched her exit out of the room.

"Ludwig." Clawdia replied before closing the door gently behind her.

Iggy wilted slightly where he stood. After what happened earlier, he wasn't so sure if Ludwig wanted to see him right now. He didn't sound mad when he told him he was going to play his piano. But then again, Ludwig is never one to express his emotions in front of others. He wasn't so sure if Ludwig was even _capable _of expressing emotions. Ludwig always expressed his mood with piano music. If he was happy, he'd play calming tunes that would even make Roy smile. If he was sad, he'd play slow tunes that would sometimes cause him to shed a tear or two. If he was angry, he'd play loud-eerie-tunes that would cause most koopas to stop in their tracks and listen.

...

The hall leading to the piano room was...quiet. Iggy, even during his first five years of life, knew that it was rarely ever silent. Normally filled with piano music that bounced off the cobblestone walls, and causing it to vibrate slightly from the resonance. The walls were still today, though. No music. No echo. No resonance. Just nothing but the crackling fire of torches that hung on the wall in perfect sets of twos. Casting a bright orange glow with a hue of yellow.

Iggy fidgeted with his fingers as he stood before a towering wooden door. Behind it he heard nothing but dead silence. Outside, the setting sun casted the shadows of the many snowflakes that were floating down at a steady rate. A few landing on the frost-covered windows before being joined by another. Iggy raised a hesitant hand; fingers curled so that only the knuckles were showing while the nails dug into his rough skin. Using whatever strength he had in him, Iggy made three solid knocks.

_Knock... Knock... Knock..._

The knocks echoed faintly in the hall, but nothing else. The young koopaling swallowed the bile that was now in his throat. Staring nervously up at the door.

Everyone in the castle knew how much Ludwig hated it when someone disturbed him in the middle of a piano piece he'd either been working or practicing on for heaven knows how long. Ludwig had a "take no prisoners" attitude about him when it came to him and his music. Once he starts playing, he's playing. It's already been clear that he won't stop until whatever piece he's on is finished with perfection. He doesn't accept failure so easily. Clawdia always said he got that from his father.

"Like father, like son." she would finish with a sigh.

Iggy knocked again, but received the same results. "L-Ludwig?" he asked as loud as he could, "It's me. Iggy. Mama told me to tell you that it's time for supper."

Nothing.

"Ludwig? You know how dad gets if he doesn't eat right away." Iggy added a bit seriously.

Silence.

Iggy blinked a few times. _Maybe he's angry with me because I didn't accept his answer..., _the Koopaling thought sadly to himself. But he knew that he had to at least _try _to get him to listen. Puffing up his chest, Lemmy reached up and just barely touched the knob. With one move, Iggy exhaled and turned it. Opening the door just enough for him to simply walk in without pushing it further. "Ludwig?" he asked slowly as he entered the fairly sized room.

He will admit that it was interesting enough to catch his full attention. The room had two large arched windows on the first wall you see once you walk through the door. A few bookshelves rested against two of the walls with their books stacked neatly in them. Upon closer inspection, there wasn't a single speck of dust present on its surface. In the center of the room, basking underneath the chandler that hovered above it, was a black grand piano. Iggy approached the piano, out of childish curiosity, to get a better look at it. The piano itself looked to be in great shape and looked like it was recently polished.

Iggy pressed down on one of the smooth ivory keys and jumped back when he heard a high-pitched _ding _sound coming from inside the piano. "I wonder how Luddy makes music with this?" Iggy mused to himself while pressing a few more keys. Each making different noises. He had to resist the urge to just take the whole thing apart and put it back together. _I better stop messing with this. Luddy might get even angrier if he sees me messing around on his piano. _

The Koopaling wisely took a few steps away from the keys before looking around the room. Finding himself in a lost situation. Ludwig was no where to be seen. Otherwise he would've said something by now. Or at least question him on why he was even in here. Iggy whimpered quietly, and suddenly found himself to be very afraid. He wasn't used to being so alone. He was always hanging out with Lemmy most of the time; or their mother if he was lucky.

But today he found himself to be alone. Completely, utterly, alone.

_I-I can't stand being alone! _he stuttered in his fragile mind. "L-Ludwig. W-where are you?" Iggy whimpered to himself while on the verge of tears. Iggy was nearing his breaking point when, out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a lonely wooden door in the back. He didn't recall seeing it when he came in. How could he have missed it? The door itself was hiding in the shadows, and looked a bit out of place.

"Could Ludwig be behind this door?" he asked himself aloud, "Only one way to find out."

Iggy stretched his arm up as high as he could and grinned happily once he gripped the knob. The door opened with a slow _creaking _noise, followed by a blast of icy cold air. Iggy instinctively wrapped himself in his arms and shivered. Feeling the goosebumps begin to pop up underneath his fingers. Behind the door revealed a stone spiral staircase leading down. The only source of light coming from the torches that burned inside. Covering the grayscale wall in its fiery light.

Iggy debated on whether or not he should actually call Ludwig's name. There was no way his older brother could be down there! Or...wherever it leads to. Iggy suddenly perked up when he heard what sounded like voices coming from below. Although it was rather faint and hard to decipher what was being said. Perhaps it wouldn't hurt to go down and check. Besides, he had a gut feeling that they were already late for supper. King Dad is going to be _very _angry with them when they arrive.

_Why is it so cold down here? _Iggy thought as he slowly made his way down the steps. _These stairs are making me feel a bit dizzy. And why does it feel so cramped, too? I don't like it here. I just want to find Ludwig and get out of here._

The Koopaling picked up the pace and descended a bit faster than before. The soft whistle of a breeze gently brushed against his cheek, causing him to shiver. The farther he went down, the colder it got. Eventually it reached the point where Iggy actually saw his own breath. Surprising him and making him wish he brought a jacket. "I'm so cold..." he whispered to himself. Not only that, but his stomach felt queasy; whether from hunger, or the strange smell that lingered in the air around him.

"L-Ludwig?" Iggy called. Although it sounded more like an inaudible whisper than anything else. Just then, out of the deafening silence that surrounded him, loud laughter was heard. Iggy stopped in his tracks. The laugh itself sounded more...mad. It happened so fast, and so sudden, that Iggy couldn't tell if he recognized it or not. He cringed with fear as he finished his descent slowly.

Iggy reached the second to last step, and peeked out of the corner nervously. The air felt heavy and thick; a stagnant odor that could only be described as rotten eggs mixed with rotting meat lingered; the medium sized room before him was only lit by fluorescent light bulbs that casted a sickly blue glow against the grayscale walls. It reminded Iggy of a hospital. He hated hospitals.

The room looked more like a science lab crossed over with a surgical room; a couple of cages were stacked in a sloppy fashion over in the corner. Underneath one of the florescent light bulbs that hung from the ceiling was a slanted metal "bed"; taut-looking leather straps wrapped around a limp yellow wrist. Or that's what Iggy thought it looked like. Something was splayed out across the surface in the shape of an X; Iggy couldn't see what it was, though.

Something was straddled on the chest. Hunched over the head with a spiked shell facing him. Iggy counted five to six spikes on the blue shell. A matted mess of royal blue colored hair obscuring any traces of the owners face.

"Hmm." a voice mused. The figure then straightened their back; Iggy noticed strands of their hair perking up towards the florescent lights. "Subject doesn't appear to be reacting much to the drug as I originally thought." They then clapped their hands together. "Perhaps it's time to begin phase two of the test!" A loud cackle quickly followed suit.

Iggy gripped the edge of the wall. Watching the entire scene unfold with the concentration of a monk. He dared not to say a word. He got the feeling that if he moved a single muscle, he would be next for...whatever is going on.

The koopa-clearly it was a koopa from the start-crawled off the strapped figure and landed on the floor with a soft grunt. Iggy duck back and pressed himself against the wall; the koopa hummed a cheerful tune as he entered the next room. "Now be a good guinea pig until I get back!" it cooed wickedly before slamming the door shut. There was no reply from the strapped figure.

Iggy felt his breath suddenly become shakey with anxiety. Mustering all the courage he had in him, Iggy climbed the last step. His petite claws _clicked_ against the cold concrete surface of the floor. Claws pressed against his slightly heaving chest, Iggy trotted over to the strapped koopa. Who actually looked like a Hammer Bro no one's seen for a few weeks. He looked awful. He looked like he hadn't slept in days, judging by the dark rings underneath his closed eyes. His shell wasn't on him; it left him stark naked. Fresh and old cuts and bruises littered his entire body from abuse.

Iggy climbed up a stool that was resting by the "bed", and leaned over to the side of the seemingly lifeless Hammer Bro. Licking his dry lips, he asked in a shakey voice, "H-Harold?"

No one in his family ever bothered to know the name of their soldiers. Considering that there was too many of them to even count. Most of the time they either went by "him" or "you". How Iggy knew Harold's name is because his twin brother, Harper, went around asking everyone if they've seen him. Now he knew where his whereabouts have been all this time. To his surprise, the Hammer Bro weakly opened his eyes and turned his head slightly over to his face. His eyes were only open to mere slits; his voice sounded weak and raspy from lack of hydration.

"M-my p-prince?" he rasped. He grunted as he weakly moved in his tight bonds. Iggy could easily make out the horror on his face as he continued. "Y-you must get out of here... Before _he_...returns... Your brother..." Harold swallowed, "He injected...some sort of drug in me... Saying it's something he's been working on... Blabbering on how it'll aid his father in his conquest of claiming the Mushroom Kingdom... He needed...a guinea pig...to test the effects..."

"Harold..." Iggy tugged on the leather bonds lightly. "I'm...going to get you out of here. Are you...alright?"

Harold opened his beaklike mouth to speak. But he froze halfway; his eyes widened with sheer horror. Iggy slapped a hand over his mouth when he noticed that one eye was dilated than the other. Gagging and choked gurgling noises could be heard from his throat as he struggled to at least say a letter. "M..." was all Iggy could hear. He didn't need to look back to see what was scaring the Hammer Bro so much. He already felt his presence as soon as Harold stopped talking.

"What's this?" a voice spoke behind him. "It looks like I have an unexpected guest here. Didn't mother ever taught you to respect the privacy of others? Naughty, naughty, Iggy~"

Iggy, gripping the edges of the stool tightly, slowly looked over his shoulder. Fixing his gaze on the wild looking koopa standing at the doorway with a strange looking device in his claws. His face was defined with shaped cheeks, a high nose, a low jaw, and deeply curved lips; it reminded him a bit of Roy, but without the lone fang in the upper center of his snout. He felt his beady eyes bore into his own with an unrecognizable malice and...interest.

The device in Ludwig's hands fell with a loud _clang_. Iggy made a small yelp and fell off the stool from shock. A cracking noise was the only thing Iggy heard other than the sound of his own painful whimpering as he gripped his ankle. He sometimes wondered what a broken bone felt like, but now he was beginning to wish he never did.

"_Ssh ssh_." he heard his older brother coo as he loomed over him. "No need to cry. Big brother's here."

Iggy whimpered and immediately crawled around him and over to the cages stacked in the corner. Ludwig simply shrugged in response and turned his attention over to his device on the floor. "Hmm. Seems to be intact." he said after some inspection. He then turned to Harold and gave him a wide, psychotic looking grin. Revealing his many rows of razor sharp teeth. "It looks like we can continue the test after all!"

Iggy cringed from the psychotic laughter that punctuated his sentence. Ludwig rarely laughed. If he did, it would sound more calm and controlled. This was a laugh Iggy thought he would never hear from him. There were a lot of things he didn't know about his big brother. He always kept to himself; whether it'd be playing his piano or reading. But there were times where he would spend time with his siblings. Especially him.

Harold was paralyzed to the core. Unable to scream as he felt the deranged Koopaling climb up and straddle him once more. Placing the device on his chest. "Now for phase two of my experiment. Let's see how the drug will react to this inaudible noise." Ludwig said bluntly before he switched on the small machine.

Iggy's ears were suddenly ringing, and he felt slightly dizzy. The only thing he could hear was the soft hum of the device that was currently running. He adjusted his glasses a bit when he realized his vision was becoming slightly blurry. _What's...happening? _the child thought innocently. His mind couldn't process what was currently going on before his eyes. Was that really Ludwig? Was that really Harold? Why did he come down here in the first place? He'd completely forgotten the reason why he was even down here.

Was it something to do with dinner?

What time is it?

It's so cold...

Bitter cold was the only thing Iggy felt. It was though he was outside rather than inside. He was in a slightly dazed state until he heard a soft "pop" and something wet suddenly hit parts of his face and body. It felt warm and sticky in his hands. A loud laugh suddenly replaced the ringing. He looked up and found his brother, still straddled on Harold's chest, laughing like a stereotypical mad scientist. He noticed that his claws were...red. Red stained parts of the floor and walls around them. Along with wet chunks of...meat?

Iggy suddenly felt very sick. His stomach twisted and turned with a nauseating feeling to it. It didn't help with the pain he felt from his ankle.

"SUCCESS!" Ludwig howled. Laughing at the florescent light that could easily blind him. He heard a soft whimper behind him, followed by the noise of something scraping against the floor. Ludwig turned his attention over to his baby brother. A wide, psychotic grin plastered on his face. Blood dripped from from his chin and hair like rain water.

Iggy felt his blood run cold when he saw Harold. Where his head had been, was a large blood splat. Tiny chunks of meat running down it slowly. Iggy felt his entire body start to tremble uncontrollably. Was this real? Was Harold really...

"T-this can't be happening..." Iggy whispered tearfully to himself as an overwhelming headache washed over him. He gripped his head and fought the urge to scream for his mother.

"Iggy..." Ludwig crooned softly. His expression softening into one of love and concern. But his eyes told a different story altogether. What confused Iggy the most, however, is that Ludwig no longer spoke in that strange accent of his. The one he currently spoke in sounded scrambled and almost alien to his ears. His brother looked at him with a half-lidded gaze as he crawled off of Harold's body. "Are you alright? I'm sorry you had to see that. How's your ankle?" He seemed genuinely concerned.

"Hurts..." Iggy muttered. Keeping his eyes on his brother in a steady gaze.

"Oh, poor baby brother." A grin slowly started to inch its way onto his face. "Come. Big brother will make you feel _better_."

Iggy's eyes widened. He started to slowly shake his head and inched himself a bit closer to the door where Ludwig walked out with his device. The door was a ajar; big enough for him to squeeze through. He didn't know where it led to. Hopefully to someplace like the basement. Iggy pushed himself back on his feet and let out a sharp cry from the pain.

"_Iggy_." Ludwig said slowly. His eyes and grin growing wider as blood continued to drip from his face. "List to your big brother, and come here." He beckoned with a finger.

"N-no." Iggy said firmly.

"I said, COME HERE!" Ludwig screamed as he charged at him.

Iggy let out a horrified scream and dashed through the door. Behind it was an actual lab; equip with machines and chemicals he's never seen before resting on a large table. Blueprints of machines and airships were pinned on the walls; notes littered the floor; posters of toad anatomy hung by the blueprints. A lone light bulb swayed eerily from the ceiling. Even though there wasn't any wind present. The sound of bubbling liquid above a live Bunsen Burner and his own heartbeat were the only things Iggy heard.

_I gotta hide! _he thought frantically. He noticed a open cupboard in the back and immediately went for it. Diving straight in and sliding the door closed. The inside felt slightly cramped because of the glass beakers and other science equipment crowding around him.

"_Ooooh IIIIIIIIggyyyyyy?~_" Ludwig sang as he went through his lab. "Don't you love your big brother Kooky? Why don't you be a good little Koopaling and listen to your big brother."

Iggy slapped one hand over his mouth in an attempt to muffled out the whimpers that threatened to come out. Tears streaking down his face from the fear and confusion he felt. He wanted his mother. He wanted his father. Most of all...he wanted Lemmy. _Lemmy..., _he thought sadly. Close to sobbing. He let out a surprised gasp when the cupboard door suddenly slid open to reveal Ludwig's wildly grinning, bloodied face.

"Ah. There you are, baby brother." he purred.

"GET AWAY FROM ME!" Iggy screeched and, without thinking, grabbed a beaker and smashed it against his brother's face.

Ludwig let out a cry of pain when he felt the glass shatter all over his face. The older koopaling stumbled back and crashed against his chemistry set. Causing all the chemicals he's been working so hard on to spill all over the counter, floor, and himself.

"NO!" he screeched mournfully as he looked at the mess. A few of the notes covered in the chemicals as well. "All of my hard work! GONE!" He then fell to his knees and proceeded to sob for his "loss".

Iggy saw this as an opportunity to make a break for the door. He wasn't sure if he would be able to handle running up those stairs, but he will push himself if he had too. Did King Dad know about this? Does anyone know about this? Iggy knew that he would have to tell their parents none the less. The Koopaling scurried out of the cupboard, only to feel someone wrap their hand around his short tail in an iron-clad grip. Iggy fell on his stomach and snapped his head over his shoulder to see Ludwig giving him the deadliest look he's ever seen from him.

"You've been VERY naughty, Iggy!" Ludwig snapped. His voice laced with insanity. A sick smile then curled itself on his lips. His own blood mixing with Harold's as it ran down from the large cut on his forehead. "Don't worry, though. Big brother Kooky always forgives those he loves. First things first, though..." Ludwig pulled out a rather large looking needle and held it to his face. "This is a drug I've been working on since summer." he said a bit proudly. "So far it's worked on adults. Now I want to see how well it works on children. Unfortunately this is my last one, however." Ludwig finished with a frown.

Iggy's eyes widened and started to frantically squirm in his grip. Trying in every way possible to free himself. But he just didn't have the strength to. Never had he felt so tired, and hungry, in his life. Even though he's only been alive for five years. Is this...really the end for him? He had so much to live for! And Lemmy... Lemmy would be devastated! Using all of his remaining strength, Iggy did the one thing he can do.

"HELP!" he screamed. "HELP ME! SOMEBODY! MAMA! PAPA! KAMEK! LEMMY! ANYONE! SAVE ME!" His voice was hoarse by the time he finished. Ludwig pinned him against the floor and hovered over him with the needle in one hand while the other held both his wrists above his head. Iggy noticed that one of his lenses was slightly cracked. But for some reason, he no longer cared. Iggy felt himself drift in and out of consciousness. "So...cold..." he murmured.

The room indeed felt cold. Freezing cold, in fact.

"Ssh..." Ludwig, or Kooky, hushed him soothingly. Rubbing the side of his face with his cheek and smearing some blood on him. "Remember that big brother Kooky will always love you."

Using what little strength he had left, Iggy managed to say one last thing before his world went black. "L-Luddy? Mama said it's time for supper..."

_Epilogue_

"Iggy?"

"Ooooogh..."

"Are you awake, Iggy? Answer me. Please..."

Iggy felt a gentle squeeze around his hand. The koopalings eyes opened tiredly. His vision was a mess of colors; he was barely able to make out the shape hovering above him. A familiar face he didn't expect to see. "L-Luddy?" was his first guess.

Ludwig smiled. Relief washing over him when he heard his baby brother speak. "Oh, thank heavens." he sighed happily. Placing one claw over his chest in a graceful manner. "You worried me for a bit."

Iggy blinked a few more times until his vision finally settled. Although it was slightly blurry since he wasn't wearing his glasses. "Ludwig... I can't..."

As if reading his mind, Ludwig gently placed his glasses on his face. Iggy waited a bit until his vision settled completely. Now able to see clearly one more. The crack on his lense wasn't even there anymore. He looked up at Ludwig, and saw the same face he always saw for five years. There was no evidence of blood ever being on his face. His hair was back on its usual, neat fashion. His eye were once again a royal blue, and back to their normal appearance. Aside from the large bandage on his forehead, Ludwig looked like his usual self. He even spoke in that funny accent of his. Something Iggy thought he would never be so glad to hear again.

"Ludwig... Where am I?"

"Your room." Ludwig replied as he gently ran the back of his hand affectionately down the side of his face. His expression turning a bit more serious. "You frightened everyone half to death. We thought you'd never wake up."

Iggy raised a brow and attempted to sit up in his bed. With help from Ludwig, he did. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"You were badly injured, Iggy." Ludwig said softly. "Your ankle was broken, and you were covered in blood. Not only that, but your heart was pumping abnormally fast for someone your age."

"My... Oh..." Iggy fell silent. Now he remembered. He was looking for Ludwig so that he could inform him it was time for supper. And then...and then... Iggy was awoken from his thoughts when he felt Ludwig gently squeeze his hand once more. "You're alright now. That's all that matters." he said with a rare smile.

"How long have I been sleeping?" Iggy yawned.

"Believe it or not: three days."

Iggy's mohawk shot up in surprise. The koopaling nearly fell off his bed before Ludwig caught him in time. "Owie..." he whimpered when he felt the pain from his ankle.

"Relax." Ludwig soothed as he caressed his mohawk. "You have a broken ankle that won't heal for a while."

Iggy said nothing to that. Instead he was more concentrated on the nauseating feeling in his stomach. Mixed with the rumbles of intense hunger while his throat clenched from dehydration. "L-Luddy... I'm so...hungry..." he managed to say.

"I know you are." Ludwig smiled softly. "But I can't get you food right away. You just woke up. How about I go get you a glass of water instead?"

Iggy licked in his dry lips and bobbed his head. "Yes, please." Ludwig smiled and kissed his forehead softly before quickly exiting the room. Closing the door behind him softly. It gave Iggy time to gather his thoughts. His mind was a jumble of questions and memories clashing with one another. Had it all been a dream? Had he fallen down the stairs while looking for Ludwig and broke his ankle during the fall? And Ludwig... Just what the heck was his problem back there? Was that even Ludwig? Or was it some deranged doppelganger of his. Or some kind of evil twin that no one knows about. All of this questions made Iggy feel like his head was splitting in two. It hurt so much to even think right now.

Ludwig returned with a glass of water in his hand. "Here you go, little one." he said. Placing the cup on his nightstand.

"Thank you..." Iggy murmured before taking a sip of water. His throat stung in reaction to feeling something run down it for the first time in three days. Iggy coughed sharply from the pain.

"I know it hurts." Ludwig sighed as he ran his fingers through his rainbow hair. "You must've had quite the fall. When we found you on the floor, you weren't moving at all. Everyone thought you fractured your skull. But you didn't, thankfully."

"..." So that was the excuse he came up with, huh? He staged up a scene to make him look like he fell down the stairs. Clever.

"I'm so sorry that this happened to you, Iggy." Ludwig whispered. His voice cracking slightly. "I should've never left you alone like that. Mother told me that she sent you to inform me that dinner was ready. I don't know what I was thinking. I'm so sorry..."

"Luddy..." Iggy reached one of his little hands over and placed it on his wrist. "I'm so cold... Will you stay with me?"

Ludwig blinked away a few tears that threatened to fall. "I can't. I must inform mother and father that you're awake. They've been worried sick, you know."

"Please, Luddy? It's so cold..."

"Oh, alright." Ludwig sighed before crawling into bed and settling beside him. Iggy immediately pressed himself against his brother's body and smiled.

"You're...so warm." he said. _Maybe warm enough to melt the frost off my window..._

Ludwig smiled back and hugged him close. "I love you, Iggy. I'm so sorry for what happened to you..." he whispered under his breath. He then ran his fingers through his rainbow hair and said, "Haven't I ever mentioned you'd look nice with green hair?"

Outside, the sky was overcast. White fluffy snowflakes drifted down lazily upon the barren landscape of Dark Land. Covering the land with a fresh blanket of snow every minute. The castle windows were covered with frost, obscuring everything that happened inside or out.

Iggy hardly stirred.

**X.X**

**Hoof! That took a while for me to write. I real hope I did good. This was an experimentwas I wanted to try out with. After many alternate versions of this fic, I finally settled on one that I found quite fitting. **

**It's basically supposed to imply that Ludwig has some form of split-personality disorder. There's the Ludwig we all know and love, and then there's Kooky von Koopa. His "mad scientist" half. And who hasn't thought of the possibility that Iggy wasn't born crazy? What if he was influenced by some kind of event in his life that changed him? (Like the death of his mother, possibly) This is supposed to be one of those cases. Where Iggy was influenced by what he'd seen, and now has a hard time deciding whether or not it really happened. **

**Sorry for any OOCNESS or errors you might've seen. I was originally going to end with Iggy telling his brother that supper was ready, but then I didn't want to leave people thinking that Iggy died like Harold (OC). So I decided to add a little epilogue to appease some readers that this isn't one of those fics where a canon character dies way too early. And I didn't want to have to write a second chapter to this. **

**Anyway, R&R and have a nice weekend :3**


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